


Let's Go Steal a Spy

by Dimonite



Category: Burn Notice, Leverage
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dimonite/pseuds/Dimonite
Summary: A government agent has scammed a man who went to the Leverage crew for help - but the agent has gone to ground in Miami, where a certain burned spy may also take exception to his grifting.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. Leverage HQ

_"My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy, until -"_

_"The rich and powerful take what they want -"_

_"You rely on anyone who's still talking to you - "_

_"Sometimes bad guys make the best good guys"-_

_"Bottom line, as long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."_

_"We provide... Leverage."_

Nathan Ford sat at a table with a man on the verge of tears - not an atypical scene at McRory’s.

“I don’t understand how this happened, Mr. Ford. I was careful, I did my homework, I was sure I was doing right by my family.”

“These kinds of scams are actually pretty common. A man tells you he’s from the government and your student loans have been paid, or your tax refund is ready - and all he needs is your bank account information. But what do you mean, you did your homework?”

“I know all about the scams, Mr. Ford. That’s why I checked with the employee registry on the government website. His name and picture were there, I swear to you, but when I look now - nothing. It’s like he never existed at all.”

_-_

“Hardison,” Nate said, sitting at the table behind the sofa, “walk us through how a man could appear and disappear from a government employee registry.”

“He couldn’t.”

“What do you mean, ‘couldn’t?”

“I mean, _I_ could do it, maybe, but for anybody else? Hacking the government ain’t exactly easy mode, and according to our client, this scammer was listed as working for the IRS. Hacking that is like playing chess with pieces that move _backwards through time_.”

Parker frowned. “So the only way to do it is… if you’ve done it already?”

“I did not even mean for the metaphor to work that well,” Hardison said, grinning, “but yeah, pretty much.”

“So what, the guy used to work for the government?” Eliot asked. “That doesn’t narrow it down too much, man.”

“Oh ye of little faith. Using that information, plus some security footage I ripped from traffic cams near our victim’s house, I managed to find out exactly who the bad guy isn’t.”

“You mean who he _is_?” Sophie chimed in.

“No I do not.” Hardison said, switching the next screen on his painstakingly-prepared PowerPoint. “Ladies and gentlemen, meet a man who is not Patrick Icchorst, nor is he Jonas Smythe, Patrick Williams, or any of these other twenty-seven different identities I found across 9 different languages in 6 continents.” As Hardison spoke, a variety of ID cards filled the screen. If the team hadn’t known that all the pictures were of the same man, it would have been difficult to guess it - the hairstyle, facial hair, and even eye color were wildly varied throughout.

“Well, we knew he was a grifter,” Sophie said. “You could probably put up a similar display for anyone in this room.”

“Not quite,” Eliot said, standing. “These IDs are top quality, every single one of ‘em. Plus, your average grifter sticks to 2, 3 different countries, tops. This isn’t a grifter’s profile - “

“-It’s a spy’s,” Nate interrupted. “That’s how he gets on a government employee registry; he was put there by the US government.”

“He probably runs scams like this on the side when he knows he’s about to be transferred,” Eliot added. “He takes the money and his old identity is completely erased, so he’s free and clear and far away.”

“Nothing’s ever _completely_ erased,” Hardison corrected, “At least, not so _I_ can’t find it. But there’s no telling how many people he’s stolen from who had no idea who or what hit them, just like our client.”

“Do you know where he is now?” Nate asked.

“The man’s a government agent. I do not want you underestimating how hard this is -“

“Haridson.”

“OK, but keep in mind that I’m a genius when I tell you that he’s currently using the name Brian Howard and he just rented a little apartment in Miami.”

“Pack your bags, people,” Nate said, starting for the stairs. “Let’s go steal a spy.”


	2. Michael and "Friend"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scammer arrives in Miami and meets with Michael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never have anything approaching a consistent update schedule, since that's not who I am as a person. That said, I'll try to post more than once every 3 months. That one's on me.

Michael Westen was sitting outside a café, drinking coffee and acting, for about five seconds, like he could have a normal day. Then he saw a face he recognized approaching him.

_When you’re a spy, you often end up working with people you don’t like. Most of the time, you grit your teeth and deal with your differences. In some cases, however -_

“Michael! I never thought I’d see you again!”

 _\- You ditch the bastard in Sarajevo and hope the UDBA gets him._

"Harold,” Michael said, putting on his very best fake smile, “how long’s it been?”

“It’s Brian now,” the man said with a wink and an equally phony smile, “And I haven’t seen you since… well, since there was a Yugoslavia for you to abandon me in.”

“I had my reasons, Brian. Besides, I knew you could bribe your way out of anything with all that extra income you were getting out of the locals.”

“Are you still trying to make me believe that you were too goody-two-shoes for those little side projects? One of us still works for the government, Michael. I’ve seen your file; I know all about the shit you pulled back then. You wanna know what I think?”

“Not particularly.”

“I think you were just mad I wasn’t cutting you in. Well, I’m not gonna make the same mistake this time. I’ve got a two-man job needs doing, and when I heard you were in Miami…”

“No way, Brian. Nice catching up, but I don’t need to risk my neck on one of your two-bit scams.”

As Michael started to walk away, “Brian” cut him off: “How about one of my $2 million scams?”

Michael stopped. “You’ve never had the guts to steal from anybody who had that much to take.”

“This isn’t just a somebody. But details are for people who are in. You commit, you can get 10%.”

_If an old enemy offers you huge sums of money, he’s probably trying to backstab and possibly kill you._

_Of course, if you don’t take it, he’ll_ definitely _try to kill you. Your best bet is to play along and backstab him first._

“Make it 15.”

Brian smiled. “Figured you’d say that. Let’s get to some business, then.”


End file.
